WAPPA Updates

As we move towards the end of what has been a very different year, I trust that you will take time to enjoy the outcomes of your efforts during the next week. The work you and your staff have done is to be truly celebrated as you head into the well earned holidays.

It was wonderful catching up with members at our State Assembly, AGM, Take a Moment and Awards and Grants events last week. Our AGM was well attended, with all resolutions, previously circulated to members, passed.

It is hard to believe that we are already into week 3, and I am sure that you are extremely busy with the end of year business of schools whilst preparing for 2021. In light of this, I trust that you will take the opportunity to celebrate, with your staff, World Teachers Day this Friday to recharge.

I trust that you took the chance to rest over the past few weeks and are now ready for the home stretch of what has been a very unusual year for us all. With COVID-19 still impacting on the operations of schools, spare a thought for our Victorian colleagues who have just had their students return to classrooms after a very long lockdown. With increased hygiene practices and increased cleaning occurring in our schools, let’s hope that we can continue to stay healthy and enjoy the freedoms we do have here in Western Australia.

I am not sure I really want to hear again, nor say, the terms to describe this year as being challenging or different or even unprecedented. I was chatting with someone the other day about (according to Mark Twain) there only being two certainties in life - death and taxes. However, we joked that now we can include change as a third element.

The WAPPA Wellbeing Committee, as part of their work, has developed a Wellbeing Mantra. The committee encourages you to print the mantra and place it somewhere prominent in your office where you can refer to it regularly. This version of the mantra is designed for you to use in your schools.

WAPPA will work with you to customise professional learning to meet the unique learning needs of your group (e.g. chapters, collegial groups, school leadership team).

I have a close friend who only listens to reply and doesn’t listen to understand. We all know conversations take place between a speaker and a listener who (hopefully ????) take turns to both listen and to speak. We also know that being fully present in a conversation, as a listener, is paramount. In reading to learn more about the skills of listening, I came across the concept of non-defensive listening.